US1938638A - Adjustable reading table - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1933. J. 5 PONTEN ET AL 1,938,638

ADJUSTABLE READING TABLE Filed March 4, 1930 IN VEN TOR.

, JEAN 6. po/vrm 5 OLAF WPONTEN jw wi Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES 3 1,938,838 ADJUSTABLE READING TABLE Jean 8. Ponten, Piedmont, and Olaf W. Ponten, Berkeley, Calif.

Application March 4, 1930. Serial No. 433,035 3 clai (Cl. 45-80) This invention relates to a table or rack which is primarily designed for supporting books, magazines and other reading matter in such manner as to facilitate the reading thereof without necessitating that the book or other reading matter be held by the reader, but may also be used to advantage for general table purposes by persons seated or reclining in beds, chairs, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a table of the character described which may be readily and easily set up on a table, the seat of a chair, or on a bed, in front and over the legs of the user, and easily adjusted to support a book or the like in the desired position for reading thereof, or adjusted for general table uses and under all conditions of use thereof does not interfere with free leg or body movement of the user or require that the hands of the user be employed to hold the device in the desired position.

Another object is to provide a table of the character described which may be folded into small compass for convenience of shipping, packing or carrying thereof.

A further object is to provide a table of the character described which will be comparatively light as to weight, and of simple and inexpensive construction, yet strong and durable.

Still another object is to provide a table of the character described which provides for the advantageous use in connection therewith of an electric light arranged to be adjustably supported on and detachably joined with the table.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form' of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one manner of use of the table of our invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the table of our invention.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the table as when the top or rack part thereof is angularly adjusted with relation to the stand portion.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the table as when folded.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 55 of Figure 2.

The embodiment of the invention as shown in detail in the accompanying drawing generally comprises a stand 1, an adjustable table top or rack member 2, and a means of connection 3 between the stand and rack member 2 provid- 6 other support in front of the user. In any case,

when set up for use, a book, magazine or the like may be placed on the member 2 and disposed in position to be read by adjusting said member 2 as desired, to suit the reader. When the member 2 is to be used as an ordinary table top it is adjusted to lie substantially horizontal and while in this position may also be adjusted horizontally and vertically. v

In view of the fact that the table of this invention is designed to fit over or embrace the legs, or in other words the lap of the user, the table may be disposed in the properly close relation to the user when seated or reclining in a chair or bed to permit of use of the table for the reading or other purposes aforementioned. Accordingly the stand 1 is composed of like standards 5 and 6 each preferably formed of a single piece of strap metal bent to form a straight foot piece 7 arranged to rest on the surface on which the device is stood. These foot pieces '7 have upwardly converging leg portions 8 which curve inward at their upper ends and embrace and are pivoted as at 9 to a straight horizontal bar 10 at points near the ends of the bar. The bar 10 and standards 5 and 6 thus comprise the stand 1, and to facilitate the attachment of the member 2 thereto the ends of the bar 10 are bent right angularly as at 12 and also serve as stops to limit the outward swinging movement of the standards 5 and 6 to an upright supporting position.

The means of adjustable connection 3 comprise straight links 14 which are pivoted as at 15 at certain ends thereof to the ends 12 of the bar 10 and at their other ends are pivoted as at 16 to certain ends of similar links 1'7. The other end links 1'7 are pivoted as at 18 to the table top or rack member 2. By means of this double link connection the member 2 may be adjusted in various ways, laterally, vertically and angularly, and the user of the device may therefore readily and easily dispose the member in the position best suited to his requirements. All the pivots are provided with spring washers 20 which set up the necessary friction to cause the member 2 to remain in the position into which it is moved. However the conventional wing nut and bolt pivots may be used if desired and it is thought unnecessary to show in the drawing the use of this common expedient.

The table top or rack member 2 is preferably of rectangular outline and may be of the skeleton form here shown or as a flat perforate or imperforate plate. At any rate it is provided with a flange 21 along one edge to act as a book or magazine supporting shelf when the member 2 is used to support a book or the like. Clamps 22 are pivoted on the flange 21 and arranged to engage the leaves of the book or magazine to hold the latter open and in position to be read.

To provide for the attachment of the reading lamp 4 a bracket 26 is used. This bracket comprises a flat piece 2'7 having right angularly extended terminals 28 and 29 arranged to engage with bars of the table member 2. The end- 28 is offset to form a clamp 30 to engage with one of the bars of the member 2 to hold the bracket in place. In the ends 28 and 29 are openings 31 through which the standard 32 of the lamp is inserted and is thereby adjustably held in place. The bracket 26 is capable of lateral adjustment on the member 2 whereas the lamp 4 is vertically adjustable relative to the bracket.

It will now be clear that the skeleton stand 1 arranged to rest on the surface on which the user or reader is seated or reclined, and constructed to embrace or bridge over the legs or lap of the user, makes possible the proper and desired disposition of the table top or rack member 2 to support a book or the like in position to be read or to serve for general table purposes for the person in front of which it is positioned. If desired the user may on spreading his legs press against the standards 5 and 6 and hold the device in the desired position although this is usually not necessary inasmuch as the entire device is effectively balanced and it is only when a heavy book is supported at certain positions and angles that such leg gripping operation may be resorted to to hold the device against tipping. The width and height of the stand is such that it will permit free movement of the user over which it is bridged even when the stand is placed over the trunk or chest of a person reclining or lying in bed.

When not in use the device may be folded into small compass as shown in Figure 4 and may then be readily and easily carried, packed or shipped.

We claim:

1. In an adjustable reading table, a stand arranged to be stood upon the surface on which the user thereof is seated or reclined, and having a portion disposed to extend across and to be spaced from the body of said user, a top member secured to said stand and arranged to support and maintain a book or the like in position to be read, and links pivotally joined to one another and to the said portion and top member, providing for the vertical adjustment of said top member above and below said horizontal portion.

2. In an adjustable reading table, a substantially horizontal bar, standards pivoted to the ends of said bar and arranged to be swung from folded position lying alongside of the bar into upright position of support for the bar and vice versa, a top member arranged to support a book or the like and to serve for general table top purposes, a pair of links pivoted to opposite sides of the top member, and another pair of links pivoted to the first named links and to said bar and means associated with the pivots aforesaid to set up friction thereat to maintain the top member in various positions of adjustment, said horizontal bar being bent on its ends to provide stops to the movement of the pivoted standards, said standards being pivoted to the horizontal bar in such manner as to provide stops to the movement of the second named pair of links.

3.1m a reading table positionable over the body of the user and arranged to be supported from the surface upon which the user is seated or reclined, a bar horizontally disposed over and across the length of the user's body, a pair of legs resting on said surface astraddle said body and provided with convergently curved upper ends pivoted to said bar at points spaced from the ends thereof, said legs being arranged to swing about their upper ends in a plane transverse of the length of said body, the ends of said bar being bent from the plane of the remainder of the bar to engage and stop the outward movement of said legs, and a reading table mounted on said bar.

JEAN S. PONTEN. OLAF W. PONTEN.

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